As the last wave of free agency gets closer, the Arizona Cardinals could bring in some big-time players.
Every season since the Keim-Arians era has begun, the Arizona Cardinals bring in a couple low-cost veterans that end up becoming big-time playmakers for the franchise. From Karlos Dansby, Larry Foote and Jerraud Powers, to Marcus Cooper, Dwight Freeny, Chris Johnson, and Tony Jefferson, Steve Keim has shown the ability to bring in playmakers that no one else wants, and for a low price.
Yes, Jefferson was an undrafted free agent, and the Cardinals traded for Cooper. What about the other players? Dansby, Foote, Powers, Freeny, and Johnson all signed low-cost deals with the Cardinals and ended up outperforming their contracts by a large margin.
Now Dansby is back in the desert, Foote is a coach, Powers is once again a free agent, Freeny just played in the Super Bowl for Atlanta, and Johnson is a question mark. As for Cooper and Jefferson, both just received huge deals from the Bears and Ravens, respectively.d Johnson is a question mark. As for Cooper and Jefferson, both just received huge deals from the Bears and Ravens, respectively.
My point is that Steve Keim and the scouting department have a knack for taking in the “unwanted” players and bringing out the best in them, even if it is the tail end of their careers. The current free agent pool still has some once-upon-a-time playmakers available. Let’s take a look at some veterans that Keim may look to add after the draft concludes.